I wasn't even aware that EA's The Sims 3 was anywhere near the point where they could announce a collector's edition of the game, but here we are, with an official press release and everything. Select North American retailers are now accepting pre-orders for The Sims 3 Collector's Edition, $69.99 worth of virtual people, a drop in the bucket compared to how much fans will spend on expansions over the course of the game's lifespan. Included in the super mega mega edition of the game is the game itself, which is always handy, a The Sims Plumbob USB drive with a matching green Carabiner, an exclusive in-game sports car, a tips and hints guide, and some Plumbob stickers. The whole shebang should be hitting stores on February 20th, giving The Sims 2 fans around 4 months to collect all of the expansions for that version and then uninstall them to make room for the next batch.Pre-Order Your Copy of The Sims 3 TodayThose That Pre-Order The Sims 3 Collector's Edition Will Receive a Collectible Neighborhood Poster and Exclusive In-Game Content REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced that the Collector's Edition of The Sims™ 3, the highly anticipated next-generation flagship PC game from The Sims Label, is now available for pre-order at select North American retailers including GameStop, Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's Electronics, GameCrazy, EB Canada, Amazon.com, Gogamer.com, Target.com and Walmart.com. Worldwide pre-order opportunities outside of North America will be announced in the coming months at which time fans can look to local retailers in their market for more information. The Sims 3 Collector's Edition, in stores on February 20, 2009, will include the full game along with an additional collectable 2GB The Sims Plumbob™ USB drive, tips and hints guide and a bonus in-game European-styled sports car unavailable elsewhere. In addition, those who pre-order the product now will receive an additional exclusive in-game vintage sports car, and a collectible poster that is a first look at the neighborhood, all available while supplies last1. The freedom of The Sims 3 will inspire you with endless creative possibilities and amuse you with unexpected moments of surprise and mischief. In The Sims 3 you can create lifelike Sims with a unique personality and take them anywhere including the gym, bistro, park, art gallery and more. The feature-set includes a new seamless, open neighborhood, new create a sim, new unique personality traits, new unlimited customization and new gameplay that's quick and rewarding. The neighborhood is alive and constantly evolving so what happens to a Sim on one side of the neighborhood could impact your Sims on the other side of town! If your Sims are in the right place at the right time, who knows what might happen? And now for the first time, your Sims have distinctive personalities thanks to a range of all-new personality traits. You have the option to select from dozens and dozens of personality traits such as brave, artistic, kleptomaniac, clumsy, paranoid and romantic. Combine up to five traits to create over a million truly diverse Sims. The all-new Create – A – Sim allows you to completely customize your Sims' appearances making every Sim unique. The feature is easy-to-use and more powerful than ever, letting you fine-tune every aspect of your Sims face, customize their hair color, select the exact shade of their skin tone and determine much more to make lifelike Sims. It's never been easier to make Sims that are thin, full-figured or muscular and everything in between! In true The Sims fashion, you can customize everything. The Sims 3 allows for infinite possibilities to design the interior and exterior of your Sims surroundings. Additionally, you can enjoy the challenge of short-term and long-term goals and then reap the rewards! Based on personality traits, skills and career choices, your Sims have short and long term Wishes that provide constant fun challenges, things to do and achieve. You have the ultimate freedom to choose whether to fulfill their destiny, giving them lifetime happiness and rewards or not! Will your Sim skyrocket from latrine cleaner to an astronaut, go from being a rabid fan to a sports legend or will you choose an alternate destiny? In The Sims 3, life is what you make it! The Sims 3 Collector's Edition will include: The Sims 3 Game for PC The Sims Plumbob USB Drive with matching Green Carabiner Exclusive In-Game European-Styled Sports Car Tips and hints guide The Sims 3 Plumbob Stickers For more information about The Sims 3, please go to www.TheSims3.com.